Maryland Delays Full Rollout of Health Website

BALTIMORE–Maryland officials decided Friday to delay the rollout of the small-business insurance exchange program until April so it can continue fixing problems with its new online marketplace.

Maryland launched the exchange on Oct. 1 for uninsured individuals, and had planned to open it to small companies in January.

Much like the federal insurance website HealthCare.gov, Maryland’s website, marylandhealthconnection.gov, suffered from technical problems that initially forced many navigators – the people trained to help others sign up for coverage — to use paper applications. The exchange’s troubles come as a surprise because the state’s Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley started working to put the 2010 law into practice in Maryland shortly after it was enacted…

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